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Friday, 11 April 2014

Numbers game pays off for Sports Therapy graduate

After graduating from our programme in 2011, Rob Lang was unsure what his next step would be.

Under the guidance of Division Lead Karen May, Rob continued to gain work experience with Wharfedale RUFC before deciding to undertake a Master's in Sports Medicine.

He completed this in September 2012 and began applying for positions related to Sports Therapy. We spoke to Rob to find out more: "I was incredibly lucky to be asked to attend an interview at 'The Sports Injury Clinic' just hours after completing my Master's. Within a fortnight I was running my own clinic in Newmarket. This was a fairly big shock, as I really didn't expect to get a job for a few months.

"I've focused on improving my clinical skills, but I think it's less obvious how you may improve in other areas such as people or organisational skills. I now organise races for different clubs and I'm the Race Director for the Sports Relief mile, 5K and 10K in Newmarket.

"I run free drop in clinics for my clinic, Waitrose, Tesco and the local CrossFit gym, which is a great way of improving confidence in your own ability as you're put on the spot in front of a lot of people.

"I initially averaged 24 clients a week for the first six months, but was told I should aim for at least 35. I sat down and put together a few ideas on how I could increase my numbers and began putting on deals, giving away vouchers and handing out leaflets to everyone.

"Along with another therapist we decided to allocate three hours after work on the first Wednesday of every month to give free 15 minute consultations to anyone who wanted one in the centre.

"Some people came wanting to book in, while others simply wanted free advice, but all the time people were seeing and talking about the clinic. I decided to contact Waitrose and Tesco to offer the same idea to their staff on a quarterly basis.

"This is a little tougher as the workers are a little unsure and are sometimes put off by the name 'The Sports Injury Clinic'. If they don't do sport they tend to ignore us, but I'll treat anyone with an injury whether it's sporty or not.

"I've also teamed up with another contact and offered the same idea to a local CrossFit gym. We now see nearly a third of their members. On top of this my I now see roughly 45 patients per week at the clinic.

"I'd advise anyone looking to get into the industry to be prepared to leave your comfort zone once in a while - it can really pay off. Patient recommendations are the best way to increase your numbers, so make sure you properly look after the ones you have."

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UCLan Physiotherapy & Sports Therapy

Welcome to UCLan Physiotherapy and Sports Therapy (PaST). Our courses provide students with a modern approach to learning. Integrating a wide range of skills, experiences and opportunities helps to produce a well-rounded and qualified graduate therapist equipped to work in their chosen sector.